JP5339955B2 - Focus adjustment device and focus adjustment method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accurately identify an object region to be focused in a screen before performing shooting preparation operation in order to quickly focus on an object to be focused when performing shooting preparation operation. <P>SOLUTION: The focus adjustment method includes: a setting step of setting a focus detection area when detecting a focus state of a focus lens; a focus detection step of detecting the focus state in a focus detection region set in the setting step while moving the focus lens; an identification step of identifying the object region to be focused in the screen based on distribution of the focus state. In the focus detection step, the object region to be focused is identified by detecting the focus state while moving the focus lens before receiving an instruction of shooting preparation. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a focus adjustment device and a focus adjustment method, and more particularly, to autofocus used for an electronic still camera and a video.

  Conventionally, when auto-focusing (hereinafter referred to as AF) is performed in an electronic still camera, a video camera, or the like, a lens that maximizes a high frequency component of a luminance signal obtained from an image sensor using a CCD (charge coupled device) or the like. A system in which the position is the in-focus position is used.

  As one of these methods, an evaluation value (hereinafter referred to as a focus evaluation value) based on the high frequency component of the luminance signal obtained from the image sensor while driving the lens is stored each time, and the maximum value stored There is known a scanning method in which a lens position corresponding to is a focusing position. As another method, a hill-climbing method (hereinafter referred to as “continuous AF”) is known in which the lens is moved in the direction in which the focus evaluation value increases and the position where the focus evaluation value is maximized is set to the in-focus position. .

  Until now, continuous AF is performed before the shooting preparation instruction and the in-focus state is maintained, thereby limiting the movement range of the focus lens in the scanning AF performed after the shooting preparation instruction and reducing the AF operation time. There is a way to do it. (Patent Document 1)

Japanese Patent No. 04106485

  In the above-described continuous AF, when trying to move the lens in the direction in which the focus evaluation value increases, it may not be possible to focus on a desired subject unless the area to be focused on is specified in the screen. there were.

  In Patent Document 1, the focusing operation is made faster by combining a scanning method with continuous AF. However, since the user does not determine the subject to be focused (hereinafter referred to as the main subject) on the screen that the user wants to focus on, the subject to be focused cannot be focused depending on the shooting scene. There is a problem.

  An object of the present invention is to accurately specify a subject area to be focused in a screen before shooting preparation in order to quickly focus on a subject to be focused at the time of shooting preparation.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the technical feature of the present invention is that a setting step for setting a plurality of focus detection areas for detecting a focus evaluation value of a focus lens in a shooting screen, and the focus lens , The focus evaluation value based on the image corresponding to the plurality of focus detection areas set in the setting step is detected, the focus evaluation value and the focus lens position are stored so as to be associated with each other, and the stored information A focus adjustment step of detecting a focus position of the focus lens based on the focus lens and moving the focus lens; and a specifying step of specifying a subject region to be focused in the shooting screen based on the focus position of the focus lens has the door, said at focusing step, the Four before receiving an instruction to photographing preparation, in the predetermined movement range Moving the Surenzu performing scan operation for sequentially detecting the focus evaluation value, detected before the focus position of the focus lens of the plurality of focus detection areas set by said setting step receives an instruction of photographing preparation When receiving the shooting preparation instruction, the movement of the focus lens is controlled based on the detection result before receiving the shooting preparation instruction, and the object area to be focused specified by the specifying step is focused. In the specifying step, the focus position of the plurality of focus detection regions set in the detected setting step is set in the setting step so as to satisfy a condition that it is within a predetermined depth range before receiving an instruction to prepare for shooting . detecting the mass regions of the state adjacent to the direction of either the vertical and horizontal directions of the plurality of focus detection areas photographing screen, of the mass region, the size And wherein the identifying a focus object area to be in the photographing screen based on at least one of the position of the shooting screen.

  It is possible to accurately specify the subject area to be focused in the screen.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of an automatic focusing apparatus. It is a flowchart figure showing operation | movement of an automatic focusing apparatus. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a stability determination subroutine in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a face detection AF scan subroutine in FIG. 2; It is a flowchart explaining the subroutine of the scene change determination in FIG.4, FIG.11, FIG.14 and FIG. 16 is a flowchart for explaining a focus determination subroutine in FIGS. 4, 12, and 15. It is a figure explaining the method of the focus determination in FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a sub-routine for subject area specifying AF scanning in FIG. 2. It is a figure explaining the example of AF frame setting in FIG. It is a flowchart explaining the subroutine of the last reference determination in FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining a subroutine of a previous reference AF scan in FIG. 8. 15 is a flowchart for explaining a main subject area determination subroutine in FIGS. 13 and 14; FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining a main subject area determination subroutine in FIGS. 13 and 14; FIG. 9 is a flowchart for describing a zone AF scan subroutine in FIG. 8. FIG. FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a subroutine for zone update determination in FIG. 14. FIG. It is a figure explaining the example of the zone update determination in FIG. It is a flowchart explaining the subroutine of uniform surface determination in FIG. It is a flowchart explaining the subroutine of a uniform surface determination in FIG. It is a figure explaining the method of the uniform surface determination in FIG. FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining a focus driving subroutine in FIG. 8. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a subroutine of continuous AF in FIG. 2. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a subroutine for determining scene instability in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a subroutine of photographing processing in FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 24 is a flowchart for explaining a main exposure AF subroutine in FIG. 23. FIG. FIG. 25 is a flowchart for explaining a main exposure AF scan subroutine in FIG. 24. FIG. It is a flowchart explaining the subroutine of this exposure process in FIG.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Block diagram of electronic camera>
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electronic camera to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

  Reference numeral 101 denotes a photographing lens including a zoom mechanism. Reference numeral 102 denotes an aperture and a shutter that control the amount of light. Reference numeral 103 denotes an AE processing unit. Reference numeral 104 denotes a focus lens for focusing on an image sensor described later. Reference numeral 105 denotes an AF processing unit. Reference numeral 106 denotes a strobe. Reference numeral 107 denotes an EF processing unit. Reference numeral 108 denotes an image sensor as a light receiving means or a photoelectric conversion means for converting a subject image, which is reflected light from a subject formed through the focus lens 104, into an electrical signal. Reference numeral 109 denotes an A / D converter including a CDS circuit that removes output noise from the image sensor 108 and a non-linear amplifier circuit that is executed before A / D conversion. Reference numeral 110 denotes an image processing unit. Reference numeral 111 denotes a WB processing unit. Reference numeral 112 denotes a format conversion unit. Reference numeral 113 denotes a high-speed built-in memory (for example, a random access memory, hereinafter referred to as DRAM). An image recording unit 114 includes a recording medium such as a memory card and its interface. Reference numeral 115 denotes a system control unit (hereinafter referred to as CPU) that controls the system such as a photographing sequence. Reference numeral 116 denotes an image display memory (hereinafter referred to as VRAM), and 117 denotes an operation display unit that displays an imaging screen and a distance measurement area in addition to image display, operation assistance display, and camera state display. . Reference numeral 118 denotes an operation unit for operating the camera from the outside. Reference numeral 119 denotes a photographing mode switch for performing settings such as switching the face detection mode to ON or OFF. Reference numeral 120 denotes a main switch for turning on the system according to a user instruction, and 121 denotes a switch (hereinafter referred to as SW1) for performing a shooting standby operation such as AF or AE. Reference numeral 122 denotes a photographing switch (hereinafter referred to as SW2) that performs photographing after the operation of SW1. A face detection module 123 performs face detection using the image signal processed by the image processing unit 110 and sends the detected face information (position / size / reliability) to the CPU 115. Since the face detection method is not the main point of the present invention, detailed description thereof is omitted. A moving object detection unit 124 detects whether or not the subject and background in the screen are moving and sends moving object information to the system control unit 115. Specifically, among the image signals processed by the image processing unit 110, two images arranged in time series are compared, and subject / background moving body information (motion amount, position, range) is obtained from the difference information. Is detected. An angular velocity sensor unit 125 detects the movement of the camera itself and sends camera movement information to the CPU 115. It is also possible to detect whether the camera is held in a vertical position or a horizontal position by using this angular velocity sensor unit.

  The DRAM 113 is used as a high-speed buffer as temporary image storage means, or a working memory for image compression / decompression. The operation unit 118 includes, for example, the following. There are a menu switch for performing various settings such as a shooting function of the image pickup apparatus and a setting at the time of image reproduction, a zoom lever for instructing a zoom operation of the shooting lens, an operation mode switching switch between a shooting mode and a playback mode, and the like.

<Operation of electronic camera>
Next, the operation of the electronic camera of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, in S201, the CPU 115 determines the state (ON / OFF) of SW1 instructing to prepare for photographing. If the state is ON (on), the process proceeds to S212, and if it is OFF (off), the process proceeds to S202. In S202, the scene stability is determined according to the procedure described later. In S203, it is checked whether or not the shooting scene is determined to be stable in S202. If it is determined that the photographing scene is stable, the process proceeds to S204, and if it is not determined that it is stable, the process returns to S201. Here, the state in which the photographing scene is stable means that the state of the subject to be photographed and the camera is stably maintained and is suitable for photographing.

  In S204, it is checked whether the subject brightness is equal to or lower than a predetermined value. If the subject brightness is lower than the predetermined value, the process proceeds to S205, and if not, the process proceeds to S206. In S205, AF frame setting for low illumination is performed. Here, the AF frame is an area for acquiring a focus evaluation value in the screen. The focus evaluation value is a value obtained by converting the analog video signal read from the image sensor 108 into a digital signal by the A / D converter 109 and extracting the high frequency component of the luminance signal from the output from the output. That is. This focus evaluation value is stored in the CPU 115 in association with the position of the focus lens 104 and the AF frame position. Acquisition of the focus evaluation value means that the AF processing unit 105 reads out the focus evaluation value stored in the CPU 115 for determination in AF control. At low illuminance, since the exposure time is extended, AF accuracy in scanning cannot be ensured. For this reason, in this embodiment, when the illuminance is low, subject area identification and face detection scanning are not performed, and one AF frame of a predetermined size is set near the center of the screen.

  In S206, the face detection module 123 checks whether a face is detected. If a face is detected, the process proceeds to S207, and if no face is detected, the process proceeds to S208. In S207, the face detection AF scan is performed according to the procedure described later, and the process proceeds to S209. In S208, an AF scan for specifying a subject area is performed according to a procedure described later. In S209, continuous AF is performed according to the procedure described later. In S210, scene instability determination is performed according to the procedure described later. In S211, it is checked whether or not the shooting scene is determined to be unstable in S210. If it is unstable, the process proceeds to S201, and if it is not unstable, the process proceeds to S209. Here, the shooting scene is unstable means that the state of the subject to be shot and the state of the camera become unstable and are not suitable for shooting.

  In S212, the focus degree determination flag is set to FALSE. In S213, a photographing process is performed according to a procedure described later.

  In parallel with the above-described operation, the AE processing unit 103 always controls the aperture and the shutter 102 based on the control signal from the CPU 115 so that the brightness of the image displayed on the operation display unit 117 is appropriate. An AE operation is performed.

<Scene stability judgment>
FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the scene stability determination in S202 in FIG. In S301, it is checked whether or not the camera operation amount detected by the angular velocity sensor unit 125 is equal to or less than a predetermined amount. If it is equal to or less than the predetermined amount, the process proceeds to S302, and if not, the process proceeds to S304.

  Here, it is determined whether the camera state is stable by checking that the camera operation amount is equal to or less than a predetermined amount.

  In S302, it is checked whether or not the luminance change amount from the previous time is equal to or smaller than the predetermined amount. If the luminance change amount is equal to or smaller than the predetermined amount, the process proceeds to S303. Here, it is determined that the subject to be photographed has not changed by checking that the luminance change amount is not more than a predetermined value. In S303, it is determined that the shooting scene has become a stable state, and this processing is terminated. In S304, it is determined that the shooting scene is not in a stable state, and this process is terminated.

<AF scan for face detection>
FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the face detection AF scan in S207 in FIG. In step S401, AF frame setting is performed based on the face information (position / size) detected by the face detection module 123. In S402, the AF processing unit 105 moves the focus lens 104 to the scan start position. Here, the scan start position is determined based on the distance of the person estimated from the detected face size, for example. In S403, the CPU 115 causes the DRAM 113 to store the focus evaluation value at the current focus lens position. In S <b> 404, the current position of the focus lens 104 is acquired, and the CPU 115 stores the data of the position in the DRAM 113. In S405, the CPU 115 determines the state (ON / OFF) of SW1 that instructs to prepare for photographing. If the state is ON (on), the process ends and proceeds to S212. If the state is OFF (off), The process proceeds to S406. In S406, scene change determination is performed according to the procedure described later. The scene change determination is a process for determining whether the scene to be photographed has changed from the state of the camera and the state of the subject.

  In S407, the CPU 115 checks whether the current position of the focus lens 104 is equal to the scan end position. If both are equal, the process proceeds to S409, and if not, the process proceeds to S408. Here, the scan end position is determined based on the distance of the person estimated from the detected face size, for example. In S408, the AF processing unit 105 moves the focus lens 104 by a predetermined amount in the scan end direction, and then returns to S403. In step S409, focus determination is performed according to a procedure described later. In S410, it is checked whether or not the in-focus determination in S409 is “good”. If yes, the process proceeds to S411, and if not, the process proceeds to S414. Here, “◯” is a case where the subject has sufficient contrast and the subject exists within the scanned distance range (the movement range in which the focus lens is moved).

  In S411, an in-focus position where the focus evaluation value acquired in S403 reaches a peak is calculated. In S412, the AF processing unit 105 moves the focus lens 104 to the in-focus position calculated in S411. In S413, the peak detection flag is set to TRUE. In S <b> 414, the determination is not “good”, that is, the contrast of the subject is insufficient, or the subject exists outside the scanned distance range. Therefore, the AF processing unit 105 stores the focus lens 104 in the DRAM 113 in advance (fixed point). ). Here, the fixed point is set to a distance with a high probability of existence of the subject. For example, if a face is detected, the distance of the person estimated from the size of the detected face is used.

<Scene change judgment>
FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining scene change determination in S406 of FIG. 4, S1105 of FIG. 11 to be described later, S1405 of FIG. 14, and S2107 of FIG. In S501, it is checked whether or not the face detection state detected by the face detection module 123 has changed. If the face detection state has changed, this determination process is terminated and the process returns to S201. Otherwise, the process proceeds to S502. Here, the face detection state is whether or not a face is detected. That is, if the face is detected at the previous scene change determination and the face is not detected at the current scene change determination, the face detection state has changed.

  In S502, it is checked whether or not the camera operation amount detected by the angular velocity sensor unit 125 is greater than or equal to a predetermined amount. If it is greater than or equal to the predetermined amount, the present determination process is terminated and the process returns to S201, otherwise the process proceeds to S503.

  In S503, it is checked whether or not continuous AF, which will be described later, is being performed. If continuous AF is being performed, the process proceeds to S504. In S504, it is determined whether the subject brightness difference is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value. The subject brightness difference is a difference between the subject brightness value acquired at the previous scene change determination and the subject brightness value detected at the current scene change determination. If the difference in the subject luminance values is large, it is determined that the scene has changed. If the subject luminance difference is equal to or smaller than the predetermined value, the determination process ends. If the subject luminance difference is greater than the predetermined value, the determination process ends and the process returns to S201.

  If it is not in continuous AF, the process proceeds to S505. In S505, it is checked whether or not the exposure time is equal to or longer than the predetermined time. If the exposure time is equal to or longer than the predetermined time, this determination process is terminated and the process returns to S201. This is because when the exposure time is equal to or longer than the predetermined time, the interval for acquiring the focus evaluation value is extended, so that the AF accuracy cannot be ensured. Otherwise, the process proceeds to S506.

  In S506, it is checked whether or not the state of the aperture 102 has changed. If the state has changed, the process proceeds to S507, and if not, this determination process ends. In this embodiment, the case of using the aperture control is described. However, when the exposure control is performed by the ND filter instead of the aperture control, the change of the ND filter state may be observed. This is because the peak position of the focus evaluation value changes when the state of the aperture or the ND filter changes.

  In S507, it is checked whether or not a face is detected by the face detection module 123. If a face is detected, the determination process is terminated and the process proceeds to S402. Otherwise, the determination process is terminated and FIG. The process proceeds to S809.

<Focus determination>
The focus determination subroutine in step S409 in FIG. 4, step S1201 in FIG. 12 to be described later, and step S1501 in FIG. 15 will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  Except for the case of distance competition, the focus evaluation value takes the focus lens position on the horizontal axis and the focus evaluation value on the vertical axis. Therefore, by determining the shape of the mountain from the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the focus evaluation value, the length of the inclined portion with a slope equal to or greater than a certain value (SlopeThr), and the slope of the inclined portion, In-focus determination can be performed.

The determination result in the in-focus determination is output as “◯” or “×” as shown below.
○ Judgment: The subject has sufficient contrast and the subject exists at a distance within the scanned distance range.
X: The subject contrast is insufficient, or the subject is located at a distance outside the scanned distance range.
Further, in the x determination, a case where the subject is located outside the scanned distance range in the near side direction is determined as Δ determination.

  The length L of the inclined part and the slope SL / L of the inclined part for judging the shape of the mountain will be described with reference to FIG.

  Points that are recognized to be inclined from the top of the mountain (point A) are defined as points D and E, and the width between points D and E is defined as the width L of the mountain. The range in which the inclination is recognized to be continued is a range in which a scan point whose focus evaluation value has decreased by a predetermined amount (SlopeThr) or more continues from the point A. A scan point is a point at which a focus evaluation value is acquired while moving a focus lens continuously and moving from a scan start point to a scan end point.

  The sum SL1 + SL2 of the difference SL1 between the focus evaluation values of the points A and D and the difference SL2 of the focus evaluation values between the points A and E is defined as SL.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the focus determination in S409 of FIG. 4, S1201 of FIG. 12 described later, and S1501 of FIG. In S601, the maximum value and the minimum value of the focus evaluation value are obtained. Next, in S602, the scan point having the maximum focus evaluation value is obtained, and the process proceeds to S603.

  In S603, L and SL for determining the shape of the mountain are obtained from the scan point and the focus evaluation value, and the process proceeds to S604.

  In S604, it is determined whether the mountain shape stops climbing on the near side. The case where it is determined that the near-side climbing has stopped is a case where the scan point having the maximum focus evaluation value is the near end in the predetermined range where the scan is performed. Further, this is a case where the difference between the focus evaluation value at the near-end scan point and the focus evaluation value at the scan point that is one point away from infinity from the near-end scan point is a predetermined value or more. If it is determined that the climb to the closest side is stopped, the process proceeds to S612, and if not, the process proceeds to S605.

  In S605, it is determined whether the mountain shape stops climbing to the infinity side. It is determined at the infinity end in the predetermined range where the scan point at which the focus evaluation value is the maximum is determined to stop climbing to the infinity side. In addition, the difference between the focus evaluation value at the infinity end scan point and the focus evaluation value at the scan point from the nearest end by one point from the infinity end scan point is a predetermined value or more. . If it is determined that the climb to the infinity side is stopped, the process proceeds to S608, and if not, the process proceeds to S606.

In S606, if the length L of the portion inclined at a certain value or more is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the process proceeds to S607. If the average value SL / L of the tilted portion is equal to or greater than the predetermined value and the difference between the maximum value (Max) and the minimum value (Min) of the focus evaluation values is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the process proceeds to S607. If not, the process proceeds to S608. In S607, the obtained focus evaluation value is mountain-shaped, the subject has contrast, and the focus can be adjusted. In S608, since the obtained focus evaluation value is not mountain-shaped, the subject has no contrast, and focus adjustment is impossible, the determination result is x determination. In S609, the focus evaluation value obtained is not mountain-shaped, but it is in a state where it continues to climb in the near-end direction, and there is a possibility that a subject peak exists on the near side, so the determination result △ is determined.
In-focus determination is performed as described above.

<AF scan for specifying main subject area>
FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the subject area specifying AF scan of S208 in FIG. Here, AF scanning is performed to identify the area of the main subject in the screen.

  First, in S801, it is checked whether or not the electronic zoom is performed. If the electronic zoom is performed, the process proceeds to S802, and if not, the process proceeds to S803. In step S802, AF frame setting for electronic zoom is performed. Here, the electronic zoom is to enlarge the center area of the screen and display it on the operation display unit 117. Since the image is enlarged, the number of pixels of the image displayed on the operation display unit is smaller than when the electronic zoom is not performed. Accordingly, when the AF frame is set so that the image displayed on the operation display unit 117 during the electronic zoom has the same ratio as when the electronic zoom is not performed, the number of pixels in the AF frame is reduced compared to when the electronic zoom is not performed. The S / N of the focus evaluation value decreases. For this reason, it is necessary to change the AF frame setting method between electronic zoom and non-electronic zoom. In this embodiment, at the time of electronic zooming, one AF frame of a predetermined size is set near the center of the screen.

  In step S803, N × N AF frames are set in the screen. For example, when N = 5 and the size of the AF frame is 10% of the screen both vertically and horizontally, the AF frame setting is as shown in FIG. N or the size of the AF frame may be set in consideration of the existence probability of the main subject in the screen. Further, the number of AF frames may be different between the horizontal direction and the vertical direction.

  In S804, the previous reference determination is performed according to the procedure described later. In S805, as a result of the previous reference determination in S804, if it is determined that the shooting scene does not change much from the previous time, the process proceeds to S806, and if not, the process proceeds to S809. In step S806, the previous reference AF scan is performed according to a procedure described later. In S807, it is checked whether or not the main subject area can be specified in the previous reference AF scan in S806. If the main subject area can be specified, the process proceeds to S808, and if not, the process proceeds to S809. In S808, the peak detection flag is set to TRUE. In step S809, zone AF scanning is performed according to a procedure described later. In S810, it is checked whether or not the main subject area can be specified in the zone AF scan in S809. If the main subject area can be specified, the process proceeds to S808, and if not, the process proceeds to S811. In step S811, uniform surface determination is performed according to a procedure described later. In S812, since the main subject area could not be specified in the zone AF scan in S809, an AF frame is set in a predetermined area set in advance on the screen. Here, the predetermined area is set to an area where the main subject is likely to exist, for example, one frame is set in the central area of the screen. In step S813, focus driving is performed according to a procedure described later.

<Last reference judgment>
FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining the previous reference determination in S804 in FIG. Here, it is determined whether or not the photographic scene has changed much this time with respect to the photographic scene in which the previous AF scan was performed.

  First, in S1001, it is checked whether or not the main subject area can be specified in the previous AF scan. If the main subject area can be specified, the process proceeds to S1002, and if not, the process proceeds to S1006. In S1002, it is checked whether or not the current position of the focus lens 104 is closer to the predetermined position. If it is closer, the process proceeds to S1003, and if not, the process proceeds to S1006. Here, it is determined whether or not it is closer to the predetermined position, but it may be determined whether or not it is on the infinity side from the predetermined position. In S1003, it is checked whether the time difference from the previous AF scan is within a predetermined time. If it is within the predetermined time, the process proceeds to S1004, and if not, the process proceeds to S1006. In S1004, it is checked whether or not the camera direction is the same as that in the previous AF scan. If it is the same, the process proceeds to S1005, and if not, the process proceeds to S1006. Here, the direction of the camera is, for example, the vertical and horizontal positions of the camera, and is detected by the angular velocity sensor unit 125. In S1005, it is determined that there is not much difference from the shooting scene in the previous AF scan, and this determination process ends. In S1006, it is determined that the shooting scene has changed significantly from the previous AF scan, and this determination process ends.

<Previous reference AF scan>
FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the previous reference AF scan of S806 in FIG.

  In step S1101, the scan range is set to the first range around the current focus lens 104 position. Here, since it is determined that there is not much difference from the previous shooting scene, the first scan range is a narrow range. In step S1102, the focus lens 104 is moved to the scan start position. In S1103, the analog video signal read from the image sensor 108 is converted into a digital signal by the A / D conversion unit 109, and the image processing unit 110 extracts a high-frequency component of the luminance signal from the output, and the CPU 115 performs focus evaluation. Store as a value. In step S1104, the current position of the focus lens 104 is acquired, and the CPU 115 stores data on the position. In step S1105, the CPU 115 determines the state (ON / OFF) of SW1 that instructs to prepare for shooting. If the state is ON, the process ends and proceeds to step S212. If the state is OFF (off), The process proceeds to S1106. In S1106, the scene change determination described above is performed. In S1107, the CPU 115 checks whether or not the current position of the focus lens 104 is equal to the scan end position. If both are equal, the process proceeds to S1108, and if not, the process proceeds to S1109. In step S1108, a main subject area determination described later is performed. In S1109, the AF processing unit 105 moves the focus lens 104 by a predetermined amount in the scan end direction, and then returns to S1103.

<Main subject area determination>
FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining main subject region determination in S1108 in FIG. 11 and S1411 in FIG. Here, it is determined whether or not the main subject area in the screen has been identified. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an example of main subject area determination in FIG. In this example, the AF frame size is 10% of the screen, N = 5, the scan range is 0 to 500, and the predetermined depth range is ± 10. The numerical values in the scan range and the predetermined depth range are numerical values representing the position of the focus lens 104. This corresponds to the number of pulses when a stepping motor is used as the driving motor for the focus lens 104 (not shown), and the larger value is the closest side.

First, in S1201, the above-described focus determination is performed for all the set AF frames. For example, it is assumed that the focus determination result as shown in FIG. In S1202, the peak position of the focus evaluation value in each AF frame (hereinafter referred to as PeakPos) is calculated and stored. For example, the a peak position calculation result as shown in FIG. 13 (b) in each AF frame. In step S1203, it is checked whether the set AF frame is one frame. If the set AF frame is one frame, the process proceeds to step S1214. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S1204. In S1204, PeakPos of each AF frame of the center M × M frame is sorted in the closest order, and the sorted number is S. In the following description, M = 3. This is shown by a total of nine frames including three vertical frames and three horizontal frames surrounded by a thick line in FIG. Here, since the peak position cannot be calculated in the AF frame of X determination in the focus determination of S1201, it is not a sorting target. For example, in the case of FIG. 13B, the sort numbers 410, 400, 400, 400, 100, 100, 100, and 90 are sorted in the closest order, and the sort number S = 8. In S1205, a counter P indicating the close order of peak positions in the M × M frame calculated in S1202 is set to 1. In S1206, the P-th PeakPos in the sort order is set as PeakPosP. For example, in the case of FIG. 13B, when P = 1, PeakPosP = 410. In step S1207, “M” is determined in the center M × M AF frames, and “a lump” of AF frames within a predetermined depth range is detected with respect to PeakPosP, and the number of AF frames constituting each “a lump” and each AF frame are detected. Remember the position. Here, the “chunk” is, for example, a state in which AF frames that satisfy a condition are adjacent in the vertical and horizontal directions. When there are a plurality of “chunks”, one of the “chunks” may be selected based on the number of AF frames constituting the “chunk” and the position of the “chunks”. In S1208, in the central N × N AF frames, ○ determination is made so as to include one or more of the central M × M AF frames, and a “chunk” within a predetermined depth with respect to PeakPosP is detected, The number of AF frames composing the “chunk” and the position of each AF frame are stored. For example, with respect to the determination results as shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, a “chunk” as shown by a gray frame in FIG. 13C is detected. In S1209, it is checked whether or not the “chunk” detected in S1207 or S1208 is a “chunk” including the central frame. If the “chunk” includes the central frame, the process proceeds to S1215. Otherwise, the process proceeds to S1210. In S1210, it is checked whether or not the “chunk” detected in S1207 or S1208 is a “chunk” included in the M × M frame by a predetermined number or more. If so, the process proceeds to S1215, and if not, the process proceeds to S1211. In S1211, it is checked whether or not the “chunk” detected in S1207 or S1208 is a “chunk” that includes one frame in the central M × M frame and includes a predetermined number or more of AF frames in the N × N frame. If it is a “chunk” including one frame out of the central M × M frames and including a predetermined number or more of the AF frames in the N × N frame, the process proceeds to S1215; otherwise, the process proceeds to S1212. In S1212, 1 is added to the counter P. In S1213, it is checked whether or not the counter P is larger than the sort number S. If the counter P is larger than the sort number S, the process proceeds to S1216. Otherwise, the process returns to S1206. In S1214, it is checked whether or not the in-focus determination result in S1201 is ◯. If it is ◯, the process proceeds to S1215. Otherwise, the process proceeds to S1216. In S1215, it is determined that the main subject area has been identified. In S1216, each AF frame constituting the cluster is determined to be the main subject area and selected, and this determination process is terminated. If one AF frame is set here, that one frame is selected. In S1206, it is determined that the main subject area has not been specified, and this determination process ends.

  The predetermined number in S1210 and S1211 may be determined uniformly regardless of the focus position, or may be changed according to the focus position. For example, the predetermined number may be increased as the subject distance is closer.

<Zone AF scan>
FIG. 14 is a flowchart for explaining the zone AF scan of S809 in FIG. Here, the zone refers to each range when the focusable distance range is divided into a plurality of ranges.

  In step S1401, the focus lens 104 is moved to the scan start position. Here, the scan start position is, for example, the infinity end position. In S1402, the analog video signal read from the image sensor 108 is converted into a digital signal by the A / D conversion unit 109, and the image processing unit 110 extracts a high frequency component of the luminance signal from the output, and the CPU 115 performs focus evaluation. Store as a value. In S1403, the current position of the focus lens 104 is acquired, and the CPU 115 stores the data of the position. In S1404, the CPU 115 determines the state (ON / OFF) of SW1 that instructs to prepare for photographing. If the state is ON, the process ends and proceeds to S212. The process proceeds to S1405. In S1405, the above-described scene change determination is performed. In S1406, it is checked whether or not the focus lens 104 is at a preset zone boundary position. If so, the process proceeds to S1407; otherwise, the process proceeds to S1409. In S1407, zone update determination is performed according to the procedure described later. Here, zone update refers to scanning an adjacent zone after scanning a certain zone. In S1408, whether or not it is determined to update the zone as a result of the determination in S1407 is checked. If it is determined to update the zone, the process proceeds to S1409, and if not, the process proceeds to S1411. In S1409, the CPU 115 checks whether or not the current position of the focus lens 104 is equal to the scan end position. If both are equal, the process proceeds to S1411. Otherwise, the process proceeds to S1411. In step S1410, the focus lens 104 is moved by a predetermined amount in the scan end direction, and the process returns to step S1402. In step S1411, the main subject area determination described above is performed.

<Zone update judgment>
FIG. 15 is a flowchart for explaining the zone update determination in S1407 in FIG. Here, it is determined whether or not the main subject is likely to exist ahead of the scanning direction, that is, whether or not to continue the AF scanning. FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining an example of zone update determination in FIG. In this example, the size of the AF frame is 10% of the screen, N = 5, and M = 3.

  First, in S1501, the above-described focus determination is performed for all the set AF frames. For example, it is assumed that the focus determination result as shown in FIG. In S1502, it is checked whether or not scanning has been performed up to the final zone. If scanning has been performed up to the final zone, the process proceeds to S1512. Otherwise, the process proceeds to S1503. In S1503, it is checked whether or not there is a ○ determination frame. If there is a ○ determination frame, the process proceeds to S1504, and if not, the process proceeds to S1511. In S1504, it is checked whether or not the center frame is Δ. If the center frame is Δ, the process proceeds to S1511. Otherwise, the process proceeds to S1505. In S1505, it is checked whether or not there is a “cluster” in which the Δ determination frame is equal to or larger than the predetermined number of frames in the central M × M frame. If so, the process proceeds to S1511. In FIG. 16, the predetermined number is 2 as an example. In S1506, it is checked whether or not there is a “chunk” in which the Δ determination frame has a predetermined number of frames or more in the AF frame of N × N frames so as to include one or more of the central M × M frames. If not, the process proceeds to S1507. In FIG. 16, the predetermined number is 4 as an example. In S1507, it is checked whether or not there is a “chunk” having a predetermined number or more of o-determined frames in the central M × M frame. If so, the process proceeds to S1512. If not, the process proceeds to S1508. In FIG. 16, the predetermined number is 5 as an example. In S1508, it is checked whether or not the center frame is X determination. If the center frame is X determination, the process proceeds to S1511. Otherwise, the process proceeds to S1509. In S1509, if there is a “chunk” in which the Δ determination frame or the X determination frame is equal to or larger than the predetermined number of frames in the central M × M frame, the process proceeds to S1511. Otherwise, the process proceeds to S1510. In FIG. 16, the predetermined number is 2 as an example. In S1510, it is determined whether or not there is a “chunk” of a predetermined number or more of Δ judgment frames or × judgment frames in all the N × N frames so as to include one or more of the central M × M frames. If YES in step S1511, the process advances to step S1512. In FIG. 16, the predetermined number is 4 as an example. In S1511, it is determined that “the zone is to be updated”, and this determination process ends. In S1512, it is determined that “zone update is not performed”, and this determination process is terminated.

  For example, when N = 5 and M = 3, the gray area shown in FIG. 16B becomes a “cluster” and it is determined that the zone is to be updated.

  In the above description, the case where the predetermined number in S1505, S1506, S1507, S1509, and S1510 is uniformly determined has been described, but may be changed according to the zone range and the focus position. For example, the predetermined number may be increased as the subject distance is closer.

<Uniform surface judgment>
FIG. 17 is a flowchart for explaining the uniform surface determination in S811 in FIG. Here, “a state that is a uniform surface” is a state in which there is no difference in brightness in the screen and there is no contrast, so that a focus evaluation value peak cannot be obtained sufficiently even when AF is performed. If the subject area specifying AF scan in S208 is repeated every time the shooting scene is stabilized in the “uniform surface state”, the focus variation on the screen is repeated unnecessarily, which is troublesome. Therefore, in this uniform surface determination flow, when “a state of a uniform surface” is determined, an operation of stopping the focus lens 104 is performed until “a state of a uniform surface” is not determined.

  First, in S1701, uniform surface determination is performed according to the procedure described later. In S1702, as a result of the determination in S1701, it is checked whether or not the shooting scene is determined to be a uniform plane. If it is determined to be a uniform plane, the process proceeds to S1703, and if not, this determination process ends. In step S1703, the AF processing unit 105 moves the focus lens 104 to a predetermined position. Here, the predetermined position is, for example, a hyperfocal distance including infinity on the infinity side of the subject depth. In S1704, the CPU 115 determines the state (ON / OFF) of SW1 instructing to prepare for shooting. If the state is ON, the process ends and proceeds to S212. If the state is OFF (off), The process proceeds to S1705. In step S1705, the uniform surface determination described later is performed. In S1706, it is determined whether or not the shooting scene is determined to be a uniform plane as a result of the determination in S1705. If it is determined to be a uniform plane, the process returns to S1704. If not, the determination process ends and the process returns to S201.

  As described above, the focus lens 104 can be stopped until it is no longer “a uniform surface”.

<Uniform surface judgment>
FIG. 18 is a flowchart for explaining uniform surface determination in S1701 and S1705 in FIG. Here, it is determined whether or not the state is a “uniform surface” based on the luminance information in the screen and the focus evaluation value. FIG. 19 illustrates the uniform surface determination of FIG. Part (1) of FIG. 19A shows a “state that is a uniform surface”, and part (2) of FIG. 19A shows a “state that is not a uniform surface”.

  First, in S1801, it is checked whether or not the set AF frame is one frame. If so, the process proceeds to S1805, and if not, the process proceeds to S1802. In S1802, “difference in luminance integrated values of the screen center M × M frame and the four corner M × M frames in the entire screen N × N frame” is calculated. For example, assuming that the frame size is 10%, N = 5, and M = 3, when the area (1) in the landscape of FIG. Is obtained by integrating the luminance values of the gray area indicated by A in FIG. Further, the luminance integral values of the four corner M × M frames in the entire screen N × N frame are obtained by integrating the luminance values of the gray areas shown in B, C, D, and E in FIG. Become. Assuming that the integrated luminance values are A, B, C, D, and E, the absolute values of AB, AC, AD, and AE are “the screen center M × M frame and the entire screen. The difference between the luminance integration values of the four corner M × M frames in the N × N frame ”.

  In S1803, among the “differences in luminance integrated values of the screen center M × M frame and the four corner M × M frames in the entire screen N × N frame” calculated in S1802, there is a luminance difference that is a predetermined value or more. If so, the process proceeds to S1807, and if not, the process proceeds to S1804. In S1804, a value obtained by calculating the focus evaluation value of each AF frame of the center M × M frame is set as a new focus evaluation value. For example, addition is performed as a calculation method. In S1805, it is checked whether or not the focus evaluation value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. If so, the process proceeds to S1807, and if not, the process proceeds to S1806. In S1806, it is determined that the shooting scene is “a uniform surface”, and this determination process ends. In step S1807, it is determined that the shooting scene is “not a uniform surface”, and the determination process ends.

  As a result, in the “state that is a uniform surface” like the portion (1) in FIG. 19A, it can be determined that it is “a uniform surface”, and the portion (2) in FIG. In such a “non-uniform surface state”, it can be determined that the surface is not a uniform surface.

<Focus drive>
FIG. 20 is a flowchart for explaining the focus drive in S813 in FIG.

  First, in S2001, it is checked whether or not the main subject area can be specified. If it can be specified, the process proceeds to S2002, and if not, the process proceeds to S2003. In S2002, the focus is driven to the closest position in the selected AF frame, and this process is terminated. In S2003, it is checked whether or not there is a ○ determination in the center M × M frame. If there is a ○ determination, the process proceeds to S2004, and if not, the process proceeds to S2005. In S2004, the focus is driven to the closest position among the ◯ determinations in the center M × M frame, and this process is terminated. In S2005, it moves to the position (fixed point) memorize | stored previously, and complete | finishes this process. Here, for example, the fixed point is set to a distance having a high probability of existence of the subject.

<Continuous AF>
FIG. 21 is a flowchart for explaining the continuous AF in S209 in FIG. First, in S2101, the focus degree determination flag is set to TRUE. In S2102, a focus evaluation value is acquired for each set AF frame.

  In step S2103, it is checked whether the set AF frame is one frame. If the set AF frame is one frame, the process proceeds to step S2105. If not, the process proceeds to step S2104. In S2104, the evaluation value calculated using the focus evaluation value of the AF frame selected as the main subject region is reset as the focus evaluation value used in S2105 and thereafter. Thereby, even if the shooting scene changes and the main subject area in the screen changes, the focus evaluation value of the main subject area in the screen can always be calculated.

  In S2105, the degree of focus is calculated based on the focus evaluation value. In the present embodiment, the degree of focus is determined in three stages of high, medium, and low based on the focus evaluation value.

  In S2106, the CPU 115 determines the state (ON / OFF) of SW1 instructing to prepare for shooting. If the state is ON (on), the process ends and proceeds to S213. If the state is OFF (off). Advances to S2107. In step S2107, the scene change determination described above is performed.

  In S2108, it is checked whether or not the peak detection flag is TRUE. If it is TRUE, the process proceeds to S2125, and if it is FALSE, the process proceeds to S2109. In step S2109, the current position of the focus lens 104 is acquired. In S2110, 1 is added to the acquisition counter for counting the acquisition of the focus evaluation value and the acquisition of the current position of the focus lens 104. This acquisition counter is set to 0 in advance in an initialization operation (not shown). In S2111, it is checked whether or not the value of the acquisition counter is 1. If the value of the acquisition counter is 1, the process proceeds to S2114. If the value of the acquisition counter is not 1, the process proceeds to S2112.

  In S2112, it is checked whether “current focus evaluation value” is larger than “previous focus evaluation value”. If so, the process proceeds to S2113; otherwise, the process proceeds to S2120. In S2113, 1 is added to the increment counter. In S2114, the current focus evaluation value is stored as a maximum focus evaluation value in a calculation memory (not shown) built in the CPU 115. In step S2115, the current position of the focus lens 104 is stored in a calculation memory (not shown) built in the CPU 115 as the peak position of the focus evaluation value. In step S2116, the current focus evaluation value is stored as a previous focus evaluation value in a calculation memory (not shown) built in the CPU 115. In S2117, it is checked whether or not the current position of the focus lens 104 is at the end of the distance measurement range. If so, the process proceeds to S2118; otherwise, the process proceeds to S2119. In S2118, the moving direction of the focus lens 104 is reversed. In step S2119, the focus lens 104 is moved by a predetermined amount.

  In S2120, it is checked whether “the maximum value of the focus evaluation value—the current focus evaluation value” is greater than a predetermined amount. If “the maximum value of the focus evaluation value—the current focus evaluation value” is greater than the predetermined amount, the process proceeds to step S2121. If not, the process proceeds to step S2116. Here, if “the maximum value of the focus evaluation value−the current focus evaluation value” is larger than a predetermined amount, that is, if the predetermined value is decreased from the maximum value, the maximum value is regarded as a value at the focus peak position. In S2121, it is checked whether or not the increment counter is greater than 0. If it is greater than 0, the process proceeds to S2122, and if it is less than 0, the process proceeds to S2116. In S2122, the focus lens 104 is moved to the peak position where the focus evaluation value stored in S2115 is the maximum value. In S2123, the peak detection flag is set to TRUE. In S2124, the acquisition counter is set to zero.

  In S2125, it is checked whether or not the current focus evaluation value has fluctuated by a predetermined ratio or more with respect to the maximum value of the focus evaluation value. If there has been a large fluctuation of a predetermined ratio or more, the process proceeds to S2127. move on. In S2126, the position of the focus lens 104 is held as it is. In S2127, the peak detection flag is set to FALSE to reset the focus lens position at which the focus evaluation value is maximized, and the maximum focus evaluation value and the peak position are reset. In S2128, the increment counter reset is reset.

  As described above, in the continuous AF operation, the focus lens is driven so that the main subject is always in focus.

<Scene instability judgment>
FIG. 22 is a flowchart for explaining the scene instability determination of S210 in FIG. First, in S2201, it is checked whether or not the camera movement amount detected by the angular velocity sensor unit 125 is greater than or equal to a predetermined amount. If it is greater than or equal to the predetermined amount, the process proceeds to S2205, and if not, the process proceeds to S2202. In S2202, it is checked whether or not the luminance change amount from the previous time is equal to or larger than a predetermined amount. If the luminance change amount is equal to or larger than the predetermined amount, the process proceeds to S2205, and if not, the process proceeds to S2203. In S2203, it is checked whether or not the face detection state detected by the face detection module 123 has changed. If the face detection state has changed, the process proceeds to S2205; otherwise, the process proceeds to S2204. Here, the face detection state is, for example, whether or not a face is detected. That is, if the face is detected in the previous scene instability determination and the face is not detected in the current scene instability determination, the face detection state has changed. In step S2204, it is determined that the shooting scene has not changed, and the process ends. In step S2205, it is determined that the shooting scene has changed, and the process ends.

<Shooting process>
FIG. 23 is a flowchart for explaining the photographing process in S213 in FIG.
First, in S2301, the AE processing unit 103 performs AE processing for main exposure. In step S2302, AF for main exposure is performed according to a procedure described later. In S2303, the CPU 115 determines the state of the photographing switch SW2 (ON / OFF). If the state is ON, the process proceeds to S2305. If the state is OFF, the process proceeds to S2304. In S2304, the state (ON / OFF) of SW1 instructing preparation for photographing is determined. If the state is ON (on), the process proceeds to S2303. If the state is OFF (off), the process is terminated. In step S2305, the main exposure process is performed according to the procedure described later, and the process ends.

<Main exposure AF>
FIG. 24 is a flowchart for explaining the main-exposure AF in S2302 in FIG.

  First, in step S2401, AF frame setting for main exposure is performed. The AF frame setting for the main exposure may be set with a single frame having a predetermined size in the central area or may be set with a plurality of N × N frames. In S2402, it is checked whether or not the main subject detection flag is TRUE. If it is TRUE, the process proceeds to S2403, and if not, the process proceeds to S2409. In S2403, it is checked whether or not the degree of focus calculated in S2105 is “high”. If the degree of focus is “high”, the process proceeds to S2404; otherwise, the process proceeds to S2405. In step S2404, the scan range is set to the first range around the current position of the focus lens 104. Here, a narrow scan range is set by determining that the focus lens is positioned near the focus position where the main subject is substantially focused by the continuous AF operation, that is, near the focus position where the focus evaluation value shows a peak. In S2405, it is checked whether or not the degree of focus calculated in S2105 is “medium”. If the degree of focus is “medium”, the process proceeds to S2406, and if not, the process proceeds to S2407. In step S2406, the scan range is set to the second range around the current position of the focus lens 104. Here, the focus lens is positioned in the vicinity of the in-focus position by the continuous AF operation, but it is determined that the in-focus degree is not as high as the “high” state, and the narrow range is wider than the first scan range. To do. In S2407, it is checked whether or not the current position of the focus lens 104 is a macro area. If it is a macro area, the process proceeds to S2408, and if not, the process proceeds to S2409. In S2408, the scan range which is a macro area stored in advance is set as the third range. In step S2409, the scan range is set to a fourth scan range that is a pre-stored total range of distance measurement. In step S2410, the main exposure AF scan is performed according to a procedure described later. In step S2411, the focus lens 104 is moved to the peak position calculated in step S2506 in FIG.

<AF scan for main exposure>
FIG. 25 is a flowchart for explaining the main-exposure AF scan in S2405 in FIG.

  First, in S2501, the focus lens 104 is moved to the scan start position. Here, the scan start position is the end position of the scan range set in S2404, S2406, S2408, or S2409 in FIG. In S2502, the analog video signal read from the image sensor 108 is converted into a digital signal by the A / D conversion unit 109, and the image processing unit 110 extracts a high-frequency component of the luminance signal from the output, and the CPU 115 performs focus evaluation. Store as a value. In S2503, the current position of the focus lens 104 is acquired, and the CPU 115 stores the data of the position. In S2504, the CPU 115 checks whether or not the current position of the focus lens 104 is equal to the scan end position. If they are equal, the process proceeds to S2506, and if not, the process proceeds to S2505. In step S2505, the focus lens 104 is moved by a predetermined amount in the scan end direction, and the process returns to step S2502. In S2506, the peak position of the focus evaluation value is calculated from the focus evaluation value stored in S2502 and its lens position. Here, in calculating the peak position of the focus evaluation value, when a plurality of AF frames are set, the calculation may be performed based on the closest peak position of the main subject area determined by the main subject area determination described with reference to FIG. Alternatively, the peak position may be calculated using another method of determination.

<Main exposure processing>
FIG. 26 is a flowchart for explaining the main exposure processing in S2305 in FIG.

  First, after exposure of the image sensor 108 in S2601, data accumulated in the image sensor 108 is read in S2602. In S2603, the A / D conversion unit 109 converts the analog signal read from the image sensor 108 into a digital signal. In step S <b> 2604, the image processing unit 110 performs various image processing on the digital signal output from the A / D conversion unit 109. In step S2605, the image processed in step S2604 is compressed according to a format such as JPEG under the control of the CPU 115. In S2606, the CPU 115 performs control so that the data compressed in S2605 is sent to the image recording unit 114 and recorded.

  As described above, based on the distribution of AF results in a plurality of focus detection areas, it is possible to accurately specify the subject area to be focused in the screen before the imaging preparation instruction.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Fixed lens 102 Aperture and shutter 103 AE processing part 104 Focus lens part 105 AF processing part 106 Strobe 107 EF processing part 108 Image sensor 109 A / D conversion part 110 Image processing part 111 WB processing part 112 Format conversion part 113 DRAM
114 Image recording unit 115 System control unit 116 VRAM
117 Operation display unit 118 Operation unit 119 Shooting mode switch 120 Main switch 121 Shooting standby switch 122 Shooting switch 123 Face detection module 124 Moving object detection unit 125 Angular velocity sensor unit

Claims (8)

An instruction means for receiving an instruction for photographing preparation including focus adjustment from a user;
An imaging means for photoelectrically converting a subject image obtained through a focus lens for performing the focus adjustment to obtain an image;
Setting means for setting a plurality of focus detection areas on the shooting screen;
While moving the focus lens, a focus evaluation value based on an image corresponding to a plurality of focus detection areas set by the setting unit is detected, and the focus evaluation value and the focus lens position are stored in association with each other, and Focus adjusting means for detecting the in-focus position of the focus lens based on the stored information and moving the focus lens;
Specifying means for specifying a subject area to be focused in a shooting screen based on a focus position of the focus lens;
Said focusing means, before receiving an instruction to photographing preparation by the instructing means, performing a scanning operation for sequentially detecting the focus evaluation value by moving the focus lens in a predetermined movement range, said setting means Detecting the in-focus positions of the focus lens in the plurality of focus detection areas set by the step S3 before receiving an instruction to prepare for shooting, and receiving the instruction to prepare for shooting based on the detection result before receiving the instruction to prepare for shooting. wherein by controlling the movement of the focus lens, is focused on the subject area to be focused, which is specified by the specifying means Te,
The specifying means includes a plurality of setting means set by the setting means satisfying a condition that the in- focus positions of the plurality of focus detection areas set by the setting means detected are within a predetermined depth range before receiving an instruction to prepare for photographing. Detecting a mass area where the focus detection area is adjacent in any of the up, down, left, and right directions in the shooting screen, and detecting at least one of the size and the position of the mass area in the shooting screen A focus adjustment device that identifies a subject area to be focused in a shooting screen based on the focus area. A range setting means for setting a movement range for moving the focus lens in the focus adjustment means;
The range setting means divides a movement range for specifying the subject area to be focused, and moves the focus lens based on a distribution of focus positions of a plurality of focus detection areas set by the setting means. The focus adjustment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a determination is made as to whether or not to update a moving range to be updated.   Whether to update the movement range for specifying the subject area to be focused based on the distribution of the focus positions of the plurality of focus detection areas set by the setting unit according to the position of the focus lens The focus adjustment apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the determination method is changed.   The focus based on a distribution of focus positions of a plurality of focus detection areas set by the setting unit according to which of the divided movement ranges the position of the focus lens is located. 4. The focus adjustment apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a method of determining whether or not to update a movement range for specifying a subject area to be changed is changed. The specifying means includes whether the mass area includes a central focus detection area, whether the central area includes a predetermined number or more of focus detection areas, and whether the central area includes one or more focus detection areas. 5. The subject area to be focused is specified based on at least one of the conditions of whether or not there are a predetermined number or more of focus detection areas constituting the mass. The focusing device according to item. The focus adjusting means is detected before moving the focus lens by a predetermined amount after the subject area to be focused in the photographing screen is specified by the specifying means before the shooting preparation instruction. From the focus evaluation values corresponding to the plurality of focus detection areas set by the setting means and the focus evaluation values corresponding to the plurality of focus detection areas set by the setting means detected after being moved, the focus lens is Continuous AF that moves the focus lens to the peak position of the focus evaluation value in the subject area to be focused by repeatedly determining the moving direction for the next movement and repeatedly moving the focus lens. The focus adjustment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the focus adjustment apparatus performs an operation.   The focus adjustment unit controls an operation of moving the focus lens based on a focus evaluation value detected in one or a plurality of focus detection areas including the subject area to be focused. Item 7. The focusing device according to Item 6. A setting step for setting a plurality of focus detection areas for detecting the focus evaluation value of the focus lens in the shooting screen;
While moving the focus lens, a focus evaluation value based on an image corresponding to a plurality of focus detection areas set in the setting step is detected, and the focus evaluation value and the focus lens position are stored in an associated manner, A focus adjustment step of moving the focus lens by detecting a focus position of the focus lens based on the stored information;
A specifying step of specifying a subject area to be focused in a shooting screen based on a focus position of the focus lens,
Wherein the focus adjusting step, before receiving an instruction to photographing preparation, by performing a scan operation for sequentially detecting the focus evaluation value by moving the focus lens in a predetermined movement range, set by the setting step The focus lens of the focus lens in a plurality of focus detection areas is detected before receiving a shooting preparation instruction, and when receiving a shooting preparation instruction, the focus lens is based on a detection result before receiving the shooting preparation instruction. To control the movement of the object, focus on the subject area to be focused specified by the specific step,
In the specifying step, before receiving an instruction to prepare for shooting, the plurality of focus positions set in the setting step that are detected and set in the setting step satisfying the condition that the focus positions are within a predetermined depth range. Detecting a mass area where the focus detection area is adjacent in any of the up, down, left, and right directions in the shooting screen, and detecting at least one of the size and the position of the mass area in the shooting screen A focus adjustment method characterized in that a subject area to be focused in a photographing screen is specified based on .